Condenser



March 23 1926;

F. HonGKiNsoN CONDENSER 0,153,551 Filed August 4, 1921 SEO latented lli/l 23, 192?.

UITED STATES ?ATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS HODGKINSON, OF SVVARTHMOBE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYL- VANIA.

CONDENSER.

Application filed August 4, 1921, Serial No. 489,893. Renewed January 22, A1926.

To @ZZ 207mm. t muy concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANCIS HoDenrNsoN, a subject of the King of Great Britain and ireland, land a resident of Swarthn'iore, in t ie county ot Delaware and State ot' Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful 1 iipi'o*.eiiie1it in Condensers, of which the 'following i a. specification.

My invention relates to surface condensers and it has for an object the provision of apparat-us of the character designated which shall deliver' non-condensable fluids to the non-condensable fluid-Withdrawal means at a lou7 temperature and specific volume, and which shall, at the same time, deliver to the hot Well condensate at a high temperature. These and other` objects and advantages ot my invention are attained by the structure hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in' Which l is a transverse sectional view ,of a preferred embodiment of 'my invention taken on the line I-I of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof taken on line lll-II of Fig. l and Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vieuY or a. portion of the section shown in Fig. 2.

Surface condensers of the so-called radial i'iow type commonly comprise a. shell in which a circular nest of cooling t-ubes is eccentrically disposed With respect to a semi-circular bottom oit' the condenser shell and through which cold Water is circulated to maintain the tubes at a relatively low temperature. |he fluid to be condensed, hereinafter for distinction and brevity called steam, is usually received at the upper portion of the shell and flows through the nest or cooling tubes from the steam pas- Which substantially surround the tube nest, the condensate being extracted at a point'adjacent the bottom of the shell. The non-condensable fluids. hereinafter for distinction and brevitycalled air, which appear in the condenser are usually extracted through an air off-take, the inlet of which is disposed Well nf'ithin the nestor tubes, thereby causing a'loiv of the steamradially through the cooling tube nest toward the inlet ofthe air oli-take member. Conde-users of this type possess the distinctive advantage of providing a heat transmitting surface of high eflicieney by reason of the large veiurance area presented to the steam enters ing the tube nest and further because of the uniformly short path of travel over the cooling tubes to the air oti'-take. This arrangement also insures there will be no appreciable variation in pressure between the steam inlet and the point of complete condensation.

Efficiency in the operation of condensers demands in addition that the energy eX- pended in the Withdrawal of the non-condensable fluids shall be reduced to a minimum. This result is most readily accomplished by reducing the volume of the iiuids necessary to be handled by the. air-removal means prior to delivery thereto. In my improved construction, 'I eflect this result by providing a separated bank of air cooling tubes Which are contained in whatl may be termed an air-cooling chamber. The aircooling tube bank preferably rises from the bottom of the condenser to Well Within the tube nest and substantially surrounds the air olli-take, the inlet of which is adjacent the. upper portion of the airr cooling tube bank, Air passages are provided in the partition separating the air cooling compartment and the condensing compartment ot the' condenser, which passages in a large measure prevent the transfer of heat from the steam and condensate in the condensing compartment to the air in the air cooling compartment. i

It Will thus be seen that the air leaving vthe condensing compartment is successive-ly cooled during its passage over the air cooling tubes and through the oil-takethe latter preferably extending contiguous to the air cooling tubes. The air delivered to the vair pump has a low-temperature and specific volumeso that asmall pump and a lesser quantity of motive power sutlices to Withdraw the air and other non-condensable iuids from the condenser to a region of atmospheric pressure. Y

Referring to the drawings 'for a more detailed understanding or' an apparatus embodyingmy invention, I have indicated at l0 a condenser, having ashell 1l in which there is a steam inlet 12, a hot Well 13, tube sheets 14 secured to the shell, and an eccentrically arranged nest of tubes l Within the shell and secured to the tube sheets. Tater boxes 17, joined to the tube sheets and shell are provided in the usual manner.

The tube nest yis divided into two groups ot tubes which, tor distinction and convenience in description, are hereinafter designated as condensing tubes 2O and air cooling tubes 2l. rlhe air cooling tubes 2l consti tute a wedge-shaped group rising trom the bottom ot the shell and having its base adjacentl the shell and above the hot Well. The edge ot the Wedge-shaped group is located well within the tube nest. rhe condensing tubes 2() surround the air cooling tubes except where the latter are adjacent to the shell il.

rl"he two groups ot tubes are separated by suitable partitions or Wall constructions er:` tending the length ot the condenser. As shown, these partitions are formed ot inclined hollow Wall members 22, 23, compris ing outer plate members 2% secured to the condenser shell, and inner plate members 25, secured to and spaced from the outer members 2t by suitable spacers 26. The inner plate members are spaced at their lower edges 'trom the shell to form passages 27 and extend upwardly beyond the outer members A batlle 28 is carried by the inner plate member and extends on either side beyond the upper edges ot the outer members 24;, forming inlet passages rthe condensing` tubes and thc air cooling` tubes may be said, tor the purposes oit' this speciiication, to be coiitained, respectively, in a condensing coiupartment and in an air cooling` compartment.

irn air oit-take chan'iber 30, extending the length oti the shell, is located centrally within the group ot air cooling tubes. and comprises two parallelly spaced plates 8l, 32, joined at their lower edges in any suitable manner, as by uf'elding at 533, and open at the upper edges to torni an inlet passage il at the upper portion ot the air cooling .fr-loup. A. conduit 35 leads irom the -talre chamber to a suitable Withineans. lt will bc noted that the sine` ti yes are spaced 'trom the sides shell and torni steam delivery pas- S'i" 8S, connnunicating- Ywith the 1 inlet i2, and surrounding the group ot condensing tubes.

r:the hot Well 'i3 contains tufo partitions lt0. it which serve to provide three chambers 2 wi, communicating above the parti- Condci'isate. collecting in the lo'tver portions orC the condensingcompartment adjacent partition members 24.. is conveyed ther trom by conduits and etti, into the lower portions oi the outer chambers e2 and Alf/t. respectively. The condensate collected in the hot Well is di.. ,harged to a suitable condensate pump through an outlet port 47 located in the bottom of the cuamber 4?.

l-laving described the arrangement ot an apparatus embodying my inventioin the operation thereof is as follows. Steam trom turbine. or other prime mover, is admitted into the condensing` chamber through the i.. maval of the s res steam inlet l2 and passes Within the shell in the cooling tubes Within the condensing compartment. The cylindrical entrance area to the tube nest isV venabled to accommodate large volumes ot' steam readily, and the steam passes radially through the nest ot tubes to the passages 29 which are disposed at a substantially Vcentral point Within the tube nest. T he steam is almost completely condensed in the passage over the tubes so that non-condensable gases having a small condensable tiuid content pass between the Walls and 25 to the louer portion ot the air cooling compartment. The air 'tloivs upwardly through the air cooling compartment over the cooling tribes which contain tlrstpass cooling Water and is tui-ther dried aud cooled. rEhe condensate dripping` trom the cooling tubes oit the air compartment 'falls directly into a hot Well Where it mingles with the condensate from the condensing chambers as Will be hereinafter more iully described. 'The air then enters the inlet 34 ot the'air ott-take 30, passes downwardly between the groups of air cooling tubes and is Withdrawn through the conduit by means ot any suitable pump.

The condensate collects in the bottom ot the condensing' chamber adjacent the battles 24 and is conifeyed therefrom to the hot ivell by means ot the pipes Ll5 and L.t6 which eX- tend Without the condenser shell to a louer portion ot the hot Well. The provision of the cliamb Lt2 and 441 Within the hot ivell into which the condensate is Withdrawn etfectively seals the lower portions ot' the condensing and air cooling compartments so that a direct tion' ot air or steam therebetween is prevented. r)The condensate Vtroni the condensing and air cooling compartments coinmingles in the bot Well 13 and is Withdrawn therefrom through the port il by any suitable pump. Y

`While l have shown mj. invention in but one torni. it will be oln'ious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible ot various other changes and modiiications, Without departingl trom the spirit 'thereot', and l desire., there'lore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are spe citically set forth in the appended claims.V

lWhat l claim is Y l. ln a condenser, the combination with a shell having a fluid inlet port and an outlet port tor condensate, ot' a nest ot air cooling tubes rising from the bottom ot the condenser, a nest ot condensing tubes at the Vsides oit and above said air cooling tribes,

and partition means defining air passages etivcen said groups ottubes.

ln a condenser. the combi-nation with a shell having a iuid inlet port and an outlet port for condensate, of a Wedge-shaped nest of air cooling tubes rising from the bott-om of the condenser, a nest of condens-- ing tubes at the sides of and above said air cooling tubes, and dividing means defining air passages between said groups of tubes.

3. In a condenser, the combination with a shell having a fluid inlet port and an outlet port for condensate, of va wedge-shaped nest of air cooling tubes rising from and hai/*ing the base of the wedge contiguous to the bottom of the condenser, a nest of condensing tubes at the sides of and above said air cooling tubes, and partition means defining air passages between said groups of tubes.

fl. In a condenser, the combinationv with a shell having a fluid inlet port and an outlet port for condensate, of a nest of air cooling tubes rising from the bottom of the condenser, a nest of condensing tubes at the sides of and above said air cooling tubes, and dividing means between said groups of tubes comprising passages through which the uncondensed fluids pass from the condensing tubes to the air cooling tubes.`

5. In a condenser, the combination with a shell having a fluid` inlet port and an outlet port for condensate, of a nest of air cooling tubes rising from the` bottom of the ycondenser, a nest of condensing tubes at the sides of and abovel said air cooling tubes and arranged within the shell so that a fluid delivery space communicatng with said inlet port substantially surrounds the nest of condensing tubes, and partition means defining air passages between said groups of tubes.

6. In a condenser', the combination with a shell having a fluid inlet port and an outlet port for condensate, of a. wedge-shaped nest of air cooling tubes rising from and having the base of the wedge contiguous to the bottom of the condenser, a nest of condensing tubes at the sides of and above said air cooling tubes, dividing means between said groups of tubes comprising passages through which the uncondensed fluids pass from the condensing tubes to the air cooling tubes and a uon-condensable off-take having an inlet opening at the converging portion of the nest of air cooling tubes.

'7. In a condenser, the combination with a shell having a fluid inlet port andan outlet port for condensate, of a nest of air cooling tubes rising fro-1n the bottom of the condenser, a nest of condensing tubes at theV sides of. and above said air cooling tubes, di- `fiding means between said groups of tubes comprising passages through which the uncondensed fluids pass from the condensing tubes to the air cooling tubes, inea-ns for withdrawing condensate from space traversed by the condensing tube, and means for withdrawing non-condensable fluids from the space traversed by the air cooling tubes,

8. In a condenser, the combination with a shell having a fluid inlet port and an outlet port for condensate, of a nest of air cooling tubes rising from the bottom of the condenser, a nest of condensing tubes at the sides of and above sait air cooling tubes, partition means defining air passages between said groups of tubes, means for withdrawing condensate from space traversed by the condensing tubes, means tor withdrawing condensate and independent` means for withdrawing non-condensable fluids `from the space traversed by the air cooling tubes.

9. In a condenser, the combination with a `shell having a fluid inlet portV and an outlet f port for condensate, of a nest of air cooling tubes rising from the bottom ot the condenser, a nest of condensing tubes at thev Asides of and above said air cooling tubes,

partition means between said groups of tubes comprising passages through which uncondensed fluids pass vfrom a central portion of the nest of condensing tubes to the base of the wedge-shaped nest of cooling tubes and a non-condensable fluid off-taire i,

having an inlet opening at Vthe converging portion of the nest of air cooling tubes.

l0. In a condenser', the combination with a shellhaving a fluid inlet port, a hot well for condensatel and a nest of' cooling tubes within the shell, of a wedge-shapedair cooling and drying compartment'Y in the shell through which a portion of the cooling tubes extend, the remaining tubes traversing a condensing compartment, partition means between the compartments comprising passages through which the uncondensed fluids pass from the condensing to the air cooling compartment. Y y

11. In a condenser, the combination with a shell having a fluid inlet port, hot well for condensate and a nest of' cooling tubes within the shell, ot' a wedge-shaped air cooling and drying compartment in the shell 4through which a portion of the cooling tubes extend, the remaining tubes traversing a condensing compartment, partition means between the compartments connorisingpassages through which the uncondensedfluids pass from the condensing to the air cooling compartment, means for withdrawing condensate from the condensing compartment.

into the hot well and means for withdrawing non-condensable fluids from the air cooling compartment.

l2. In a condenser, the con'ibination with a shell having a fluid inlet port, a hot well for condensate and a nest of cooling tubes within the shell, of a wedge-shaped air cooling and drying compartment in the shell through which a portion ot' the cooling tubes extend, the remaining tubes traversing a condensing compartment, partition means between the compartments comprising pastlueusb Whit/li the limfrOnflnsc-.-uClS pass from the condensing to the air cooling compartment, means for withdrawing condensate `from the condensing compartment into the hot well, means for delivering condensate from the air cooling compartment to the hot well, and means 'for withdrawing non-condensable fluids from the air cooling compartment.

13. ln a condenser, the combination with a shell having a. fluid inlet port, a hot well for condensate and a nest ot cooling tubes within the shell, of a. hollow wall projecting into the tube nest, and extending the length of and secured to the shell adjacent one side of the het well, a second hollow vall similarly positioned adjacent the other side ot 'the hot well, a root member carried bv said walls, the walls and roof members enclosing an air cooling compartment, an air ott-take havin@ an inlet adjacent the innermost portion oi the air cooling compartment and means for causing the uncondensed 'luids -from the portion of the tube nest without the compartment to enter at the inner ends ot the hollow walls and to be discharged at the outer ends thereof int the outer portion of the said air cooling` compartment, pass over the tubes therein, and non-condensable fluids to be discharged therefrom at the in ner portion of the con'ipartment into the air oil-take.

le. ln a condenser, the combination with a shell having' a fluid inlet port, a hot well for condensate and a nest ot cooling tubes within the shell, of a. hollow wall projecting into the tube nest and extending the length ot and secured to the shell adjacent one side ot the hot well, a second hollow wall similarly positioned adjacent the other side of the hot well, a roof member carried by said walls and defining with the hollow walls an air cooling compartment, the space travcrsed by the cooling tubes without the walls and rootl member constitutingl a condensing compartment, means for withdrawing condensate from the condensing compartment into the hot well, means for draining condensate from the air cooling compartment into the hot well, an air ott-take having an inlet adjacent the innermost portion of the air cooling compartment and means for causing the uncondensed fluids trom the portion ot the tube nest without the air cooling compartment to enter at the inner ends of the hollow walls and to be discharged at the outer ends thereof into the outer portion of the said air cooling compartment, pass over the tubes therein and the non-condensable fluids to be discharged therefrom at the inner portion of the compartn'ient into the air oil-taire.

l5. ln a condenser, the combination with a shell having a fluid inlet and av hot well tor condensate, of a nest of air cooling tubes rising' troni the bottom of the. shell and over the hot well, a nest of condensing tubes at the sides of and above the air cooling tubes, means comprising hollow walls for separating' said tube nests and forming within the shell an air cooling compartment and a condensing compartment, partition walls dividing the hot well into three chambers comniunicating above the partitions and conduits leading from the lowermost portions of the condensing compartment into the lower portion of the outer chambers of the hot well whereby the passage of uncondensed fluids between the condensing compartment and the air cooling' compartment through the hot well and condensate conveying conduits is prevented.

16. In a condenser, the combination with a shellhaving a 'iiuid' inlet and a liotwell tor condensate, ot' aE nest ot air cooling tubes rising from the bottom of the shell and over the hot well, a nest ot' condensing tubes at the sides or' and above the air cooling tubes, partition means coniprisingr hollow walls for separating said tube nests and forming within the shell an air cooling compartment and a condensing compartment, partition walls dividing the hot well into three chambers communicating above the partitions, con-- duits leading fromy theV lowermost portions ot the condensing compartment into the lower por ion of the outer chambers of the hot well whereby the passage ot uncondensed fluids between the condensing compartment and the air cooling compartment through the hot well and condensate conveying conduits is prevented', means for draining condensate from the air cooling compartment into the hot well, an air olii-take having an inlet adjacent the innermost portion of the air cooling compartment and means for causing the unconde-nse'd fluids from the portion of the tube nest without the compartment to enter `at the inner ends of the hollow walls and to be discharged at the outer ends thereof into the outer portion of the said air cooling compartment, pass over the tubes therein and the non-condensablegases to be discharged therefrom at the inner portion of the compartment into the air oil-take.

17. In a condenser, the combination with a shell enclosing a condensing space, and a nest of cooling tubes traversing the condensing space and arranged eccentriet-,lijfv tothe shell, o1PA a non-condensable fluid oit-take extending' into said shell and having an inlet located well within the nest or tubes, two pairs of vertically incl-ined, spaced hal-iles, one pair on each side of the othtalte and converging toward said inlet, a root over said batlles, the arrangement being such that fluids entering the condenser pass radiallj7 over portions of the tubes, traverse the spaces between each pair of bandes, and then pass over the group ot' tubes included between the battles to the said inlet.

18. ln a condenser, the combination with a shell having a fluid inlet port and an ontlet port tor condensate, of a nest of air cooling` tubes rising from the bottoni ot the condenser', a nest ot condensing; tubes 4t the sides ot and above said air cooling tubes and arranged within the shell so that a iiuid delivery space communicating with said inlet port substantially surrounds the nestot' condensing tubes, the nest ot' condensing tubes being so arranged that condensate falling from tubes in the upper portion of the nest passes through and Contact with the heated fluid in the lower portions ot the fluid delivery space and partition-means dening air passages between said groups ot tubes.

19. ln a condenser, the combination with a shell having a fluid inlet port and an outlet port tor condensate, oi' a nest ot' air cooling tubes rising frein the bottoni of the condenser, a nest ot condensing tubes at the sides of and above said air cooling tubes and so arranged within the shell as to provide a fluid delivery space communicating with said inlet port between the sides of the condenser and the entrance faces ot the nest o1" condensing tubes, whereby condensate talling toward the bottom ot' the condenser falls through the lower` portions ot the 'fluid delivery passage so as to abstract soine of the ing` tubes rising troni the bottom of the con-l denser, a nest of condensing tubes at the sides/ot and above said air cooling tubes and arranged within the shell so that a 'fluid delivery space communicating with said inlet port substantially surrounds the nest of conoensing tubes, the said nest being arranged soV that condensate falling troni the tubes in the upper portion will i'all through the lower portion ot the fluid delivery space and vpartition ineans defining air passages between said groups of tubes.

In testimony whereof, l have hereunto subscribed my naine this first day of August, 1921.

FRAN l5 HODGKINSON. 

